Cherry Mobile Flare 3 Review: Its the Best Flare Ever!

The Flare 3 is currently a hit for the local company Cherry Mobile. Inventory runs out wherever it was sold. I’ve already gushed about it during my initial impressions of the device. Now, let’s find out why this P3,999 wonder is the “Best Flare Ever.” Full review up next.

WHAT’S IN THE BOX:

The packaging of the Flare 3 is pretty simple and efficient. The box is about the size of the unit. Inside, you’ll find the usual stuff: Flare 3 unit, battery, micro USB cable, charger and the user manual.

HARDWARE AND DISPLAY:

So what do you get for only P3,999? Well, according to Cherry Mobile – you get a 5 inch screen, a 1.3GHz quad-core MediaTek processor, 1GB of RAM, 8GB of storage with microSD support, and an 8MP BSI rear cam. That’s what comes with the Flare 3. Impressed? You should be.

Cherry Mobile Flare 3 specs:

5-inch qHD IPS OGS with scratch resistant display (960 x 540; 240dpi)

1.3GHz quad-core MediaTek MTK 6582 processor

Mali-400MP GPU

1GB of RAM

8GB of storage (+microSD up to 64GB)

8MP BSI rear camera

3MP front camera

HSPA+, WiFi, Bluetooth 3.0, GPS, A-GPS

Dual-SIM, regular

1,980mAh battery

Android 4.4.2 KitKat

P3,999

As soon as I turned on the device, the first thing I noticed was how good the screen looked. It’s bright, and colors are vibrant. No doubt this is the effect of the OGS (One Glass Solution).

If you look closely though, you’ll notice that the icons are not as crisp as those with HD screens. Anyway, its not really than noticeable, and would probably only bother those who nitpick too much.

As an added bonus, you can mirror your display to a Miracast capable TV. Very handy for some games and videos.

Playing and watching movies on it is especially nice.

DESIGN:

The Flare 3’s body is made of a good quality plastic material that falls somewhere between cheap and premium. It’s very light and feels sturdy. It doesn’t creak when you press the unit all around. The build quality is solid.

The unit I have has a nice glossy red back cover. I like that it has a nice car like shine. This is also where you will find the 8MP camera and flash. The camera is protruding a bit, so be careful because it might get scratched.

At the top you have the 3.5mm audio jack. The bottom has the micro USB port and mic. And the right side has the power and volume keys. The left side is devoid of anything. You can click the images to view a larger version.

As previously stated on my initial impressions of the Flare 3, I find the placement of the power button too high on the right side. On a 5 inch device, reaching it is a bit of an inconvenience, especially for those with smaller hands. It’s not a deal breaker though considering the positives.

PERFORMANCE AND BATTERY LIFE:

Thanks to the combination of Android 4.4.2 KitKat, the quad core CPU, the 1GB of RAM, and some optimizations, the OS was surprisingly quick and responsive. I rarely feel it lag while navigating the phone. Switching from one app to another may stutter a little, but it’s acceptable. I guess it helps that the Flare 3 is as close to stock as it gets, with Cherry Mobile doing little to none in changing the UI.

The Flare 3 comes with a 1,980mAh battery. During testing, it is good enough to last you a whole day.

BENCHMARK SCORES:

If you guys like numbers, then you’ll like this one. The Flare 3 performed well in benchmark apps. Here are the scores. I’ve included screenshots of the graphs to show you were the Flare 3 stands compared to other phones. Please note that benchmark scores are not indicative of overall performance or user experience.

Test Scores:

Antutu – 17,699

Vellamo Browser – 1,893

Vellamo Multicore – 1,236

Vellamo Metal – 667

Quadrant – 7,035

Icestorm Unlimited – 2,888

Nenamark 2 – 60.9fps

CAMERA:

The Flare 3 comes with an 8MP BSI main camera. It’s enough to satisfy most shutterbugs, while the 3MP front cam will make selfie lovers rejoice. Camera modes include Normal, Live Photo, Face Beauty and Panorama.

You will not be disappointed when taking photos using the main camera, especially with ample available light. Images turned out great. The details were captured nicely. Colors are bright and saturated. Here are some test shots which I resized on Photoshop for the blog post.

WRAP UP:

The Flare 3 is living up to its title of the “best Flare ever.” With a price tag of only P3,999, this 5 inch smartphone delivers outstanding performance. For that price, you will get a quad core processor, 1GB RAM/8GB storage combo, Android 4.4.2 KitKat and a smooth (and stock) UI.

The only problem with the Flare 3 is its availability. At the moment, it is only being sold in batches in select locations.